Today, Samsung and AT&T launched the exclusive Galaxy S4 in Aurora Red with 16GB of storage. The device is priced at $199.99 on a new two year agreement or you can pick up the device off contract at $639.99. Besides that gorgeous red exterior, there are no differences between this device and the regular white/black variants. 

If you made the Samsung Galaxy S4 your device for the time being, feel free to take advantage of this 50% off coupon promo through Samsung’s site. All you have to do is create an account (if you haven’t already) and register your new device (need the IMEI) – within a few minutes, an email will arrive with your code. The code is good for 50% off of any accessory in their store that is $50 and under. That may limit your options, but things like the new spare battery and charger kit, multimedia desktop dock, and Flip Covers are all under $50. Via:  Samsung Cheers Brendan!

Android is already known as the go-to OS if you want to customize your phone – custom backgrounds, keyboards and third-party lockscreens can all be added after you purchase the device from an OEM. However, if this newest leak is to be believed, Verizon is looking to give customization options during the ordering process to wildly change the outside look of your new Galaxy S4. 

According to a report out of Reuters, Samsung CEO JK Shin confirmed in an interview that his company will sell a new version of the Galaxy S4 that supports LTE Advanced within the next month in Korea. He also mentioned that he was in talks with “several overseas” carriers to take on the phone, but would not specifically name any. So, the phone isn’t coming to the U.S. at this time. 

Just over a week ago, Samsung announced that they had made their own wireless charging cover and charging pad for the Galaxy S4 available through their online accessory shop. It has since sold out a couple of times, even with the bundle running $90. If you have yet to pick one up and have been on the lookout, think about stopping into your local Verizon store. As you can see from the picture above, stores are starting to carry the black version equipped with Verizon and 4G LTE branding.

The cover by itself runs $39.99, just as it does through Samsung’s shop. We’ve also been told that if your store doesn’t have them in stock, that they can be ordered over the phone. For whatever reason, they are not currently available through Verizon’s site, though we would assume that they will be before long.

Or you could swing into the the online DL store, which apparently still has the bundle.

For whatever reason, Samsung is one of the last phone manufacturers on the planet to allow its customers to replace the batteries inside its phones. We aren’t exactly sure why the industry went away from pull-able or replaceable batteries, but Samsung made it clear to us during a press briefing over the Galaxy S4 that they do not plan to follow that trend. As you know, the GS4 features a removable backside, which not only gives you access to the phone’s battery, but you can also access a microSD card for expandable storage – another feature that the rest of the industry has moved away from.

So to show all new Galaxy S4 owners that they didn’t include a removable battery for nothing, Samsung has gone ahead and released the official spare battery and charger for the device. Available now from a variety of online stores, you can pick up the charging kit which includes a replacement 2600mAh battery, charger, and new cable.

Amazon has it with Prime shipping for $42.01; the DL Store has it for $47.95 with decent shipping rates; Samsung has it for $49.99 with $4 shipping.

Links:  Amazon | DL Store | Samsung Shop

Cheers Brent!

A Samsung device with the model number SCH-435 stopped by Bluetooth SIG this week, likely on its way to Verizon. In the past, all of Big Red’s Samsung device model numbers start with SCH, and since this phone is headed to North America, we would be shocked if it went elsewhere. So what is it? It could be the Galaxy S4 Mini. 

There might be some of you that still don’t care for Samsung’s “cheap” plastic feel, but the manufacturer is set on proving that their plastic can take just as much if not more damage than any other phone on the market. In this new video, Samsung takes us on a tour of their stress test facility, although I don’t know why specially designed machines are needed to do a drop test. I see folks do drop tests all the time without the need for machines. Either way, the Galaxy S4 gets dropped, dunked, wet, shaken, tumbled and everything else you could imagine before being approved for consumer usage.